Your Time, Your Turn!. Living In Abundance. June 2015

The Preacher in his wisdom and understanding of the world around him had written in the 3rd chapter and first verse of his book that there is time for everything under the sun (Eccl 3:1). In the scripture, as we search diligently we would see the word “generation” severally. Solomon said “One generation passeth away and another generation cometh” (Eccl. 1:4). There is a direct connection between one generation and another. What the earlier one does often would have an impact on the destiny of the next.

Some people have argued that life; human existence and the process of life can entirely be compared to a Stage; A huge drama stage. Everyday life, from an individual’s birth to death is comparable to an on-stage drama that plays out gently but constantly. Human beings are like actors on this drama stage of nature. When it is an actor’s turn, the fellow would take time, go on stage, perform his/her own roles and leave the stage for others. Often times the script writers write the script in such a way that most prominent stage actors would ultimately exit the stage when the ovation from the audience is loudest and when the expectation from the people may be at its highest. In the scripture, almost everybody who was somebody came to the life Stage at different times. Then they took their turns, played their respective strategic part(s) and left the stage. It is that strategic role played by such individuals at such critical moments in time that the world still remembers them for till this day.

It is very important that we understand, as believers that there is a reason why God allowed us to come to this world at this time. We are here as great instruments towards the expansion of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The mistake most people make is that they go into unjustifiable comparisons of themselves with others even in the local church; they say for instance that “Brother Jack is only in the Sunday school department, but I am in four other departments and yet the pastor doesn’t care. He doesn’t call Brother Jack to order? You know I am always praying with the prayer team; I am always answering every call for external evangelism. Yet there are persons in the church who just do as they like, they don’t answer to those calls, they don’t even pay their tithes and it looks as if the pastor doesn’t care?” You have to think again. Every pastor, who is worth his calling, cares. Every pastor cares that his people make it to heaven by obeying God now. However, every pastor also knows that different persons have respective agenda concerning the kingdom of heaven. Your agenda may not necessarily be the same as mine even when we are from the same church family. Some individuals are evangelists, yet some others are there as prayer champions while others have been called in as ushers. Yet in the same place, don’t be surprised, some other individuals have been sent in (by their masters) as agents of the evil one; they sit down beside you as brothers and sisters; they pretend to be born again even as the old prophet had pretended to the new prophet (1 Kegs 13). These other people are clearly not in church to serve the God of heaven; they are not in church to worship the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Rather they are in church to stop the believers from taking their time to take their turn and make a difference for the almighty God and for humanity. You will be very mistaken and perhaps deceived when you use such persons as your benchmark to know who is doing the right thing before God. Next time before you go into such comparisons ask yourself the simple question “does this fellow have the same purpose on this earth with me?” It is important that we remain focused on our destiny on this earth. This is partly because time is running out. As we see the sun rise and set, something within us tells us that we still have plenty of time to do a whole lot on this planet. That is not entirely correct. That is a game the human mind plays on us. It gives us the impression that we have much more time in our hands to do whatever. The reality is that we don’t have the privilege of the abundance of time.

Moses was called by God. He answered the call. A time came when he took his turn and played his part by taking the children of Israel through the red sea and towards the Promised Land. He finished his own part, handed over to Joshua and left the stage (Ex. 14, Jos. 1). Jacob came into the world with his twin brother Esau. However, their fates and destinies were entirely different. Jacob’s time came, he took his turn, got the blessings from Isaac and passed the same blessings over to his children and left the stage. Elijah’s time came; he became a prophet of the most high God. He played his part against Ahab, Jezebel, the captains of 50 and ultimately against the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs. 18). At a time he became a channel of blessing to the widow woman in Zarephath. When his time was up, he handed over to Elisha and left the stage. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were relatively unknown Hebrew boys in Babylon. Their time came, they didn’t compromise their Faith. They made a foundation for ultimate belief in the power and supremacy of God. They finished their assignment and left the stage (Dan. 3). Today we still remember them.

Apostle Paul was originally wasting his time acting as Saul. A time came when he encountered Jesus Christ of Nazareth and then he properly aligned himself to his divine destiny on this planet. By the time he was leaving the stage aprons taken from his body could heal the sick. On the contrary we remember Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), when others were busy selling their property and bringing the money to the apostles for evangelism and winning souls, the couple’s time came, they lied about their resources and died. They also came to the stage, played their negative roles and left in shame. We also remember Delilah. The only reason why that woman came into this world was to bring down the man of God. Samson had a mission; he had a vision. He was an epitome of the raw, naked power of the almighty God. But he had a weak point with women. Then Delilah was sent. When her time came, she made dangerous use of her turn and brought the anointed of the Lord down. That is why as pastors and ministers we must be careful with those individuals who are there now appreciating us, praising us, asking for our prayers. I agree that majority of them will be genuine but there still exists some in the minority, just like Delilah, who are there sent to cause the downfall of the man of God. They will fail woefully in Jesus Name!

Friend, have you bothered to find out why you are here on this planet? What is your specific assignment from heaven? What did God bring you here to do? If you already know, then glory be to God. You must go after it so that in God’s time you will take your turn and achieve your divine goal. If you are yet to find out what it is that you are here for, go back to God in prayers and seek His face. As we take our turns, in our time, we should ask ourselves what God and the world will remember us for after we exit this planet. Will you be remembered as the one that worked for God or as the one that worked against God? Will you be remembered as the one that evangelized and won souls for Christ or shall you rather be remembered as that individual who scattered the flock of the living God. Will you be remembered as the fellow that cared for his brothers or will you be remembered as the one that rather didn’t care about anybody?

Whatever we have to do we must do hastily, because time is indeed running out. Now may be your time to take your turn and make a positive difference for the almighty God and for humanity. Please don’t waste it. Use it wisely.

If you have not given your life to Christ please do so now for tomorrow might be too late.